SOLD Elbaite on Feldspar
stock #SOLD 9.1-370
Gaoligong Shan, Baoshan Prefecture
Yunnan Province,
China
7 x 5.1 x 4.3 CM (cabinet)
price: $0
Early summer 2023
An unusual and attractive Chinese Tourmaline with bright pink to reddish crystals covering Feldspar and a little Quartz. This is from a find in 2003 in the Gaoligong Mountains of Yunnan province. At the time of this find there was great excitement in the hopes there would be much more to be found, but there was not. We have not seen anything new since. These crystals are very lustrous, sharp and translucent, jumbled in a dense cluster, these are up to 1.1 CM though most are smaller. A pretty and affordable Tourmaline from a little seen locality.
Calcite - triangular crystals
stock #4.2-295
Guiyang
Guizhou Province,
China
9.6 x 6.1 x 3.9 CM (cabinet)
price: $140
Spring 23
Stacked and clustered Calcite crystals with triangular cross sections and triangular faces. In excellent condition as seen only some bruising to note on outside edge and backside contact. The color is a salmon pink to orange hue. From a small quarry in Guiyang the specimen has a second generation of tiny Calcite crystals on the lower faces of the main crystals.
Hydrozincite - fine specimen, early Chinese find
stock #7.AE-534
Muqiaomian Sn Deposit, Pinggui District, Hezhou Pref.
Guangxi Province,
China
11 x 6.2 x 4.9 CM (cabinet)
price: $700
Spring 23
From a one time find almost 20 years ago, this is a very fine example of the best style of Chinese Hydrozincite. Our information in China gives the locality as the Muqiaomian Deposit (Guanxi, China). We think this to be correct, Mindat lists the locality but has no photos from it. A number of Chinese pieces are on Mindat with this similar morphology but all are attributed to localities in Yunnan Province. Our contacts tell us this is not correct, and it seems there is some uncertainty on the attributions posted in Mindat. As far as we know this is the correct locality for this piece, we obtained it in China in 2009 and sold it shortly after returning. No matter the exact locale, the form is very esthetic, it has well developed fingers, branches and spheres with both a matte luster and a translucent glassy zone. This is a specie we simply do not see anymore from China, even in low quality pieces. Hydrozincite is not usually an attractive mineral but this find had some very pretty specimens, this is far better than most, with no damage at all.
Cerussite - two generations, two colors
stock #7.AE-418
Daoping Mine, Gongcheng County, Guilin Prefecture
Guangxi Province,
China
9.7 x 8.1 x 3.9 CM (cabinet)
price: $1250
Spring 23
Superb early (2005) Chinese Cerussite from the famed Daoping Mine. In incredible condition and with great color, luster and form. The larger yellow crystals are often labeled as Chrome Cerussite and the green as Cuprian. We do not know if this is correct at this locality or for sure which elements cause these colors from this mine. No matter the chromophore, the esthetics and condition are very fine on this piece, it is unlike anything found for several years, certainly a modern classic. The largest crystal is 1.7 CM and the yellows do seem to be a later generation, the smaller, earlier crystals are the greens. Cerussite is a fragile mineral, the crystals here are well-exposed and yet are still in fine condition, something remarkable.
Spessartine on Microcline
stock #6.2-123
Tongbei, Yunxiao County, Zhangzhou Prefecture
Fujian Province,
China
6.2 x 5.2 x 3 CM (cabinet)
price: $850
Spring 23
Unusually huge and fine Spessartine crystals from this famed locale. Garnets from Tongbei (China) had a huge impact in the mineral world when they first appeared. They are still highly regarded and have become scarce in good quality. This is from the early finds and has the largest complete crystal we have seen, over 2.2 CM across. Normally anything over 1-1.2 CM is considered huge from here. In perfect shape, sawn on the bottom side where removed and with two generations of Spessartine. This is very different from the typical material from this famed locality. Excellent luster, sharpness and a giant crystals. It is impossible to find anything like this now on the market.
Fluorite - unusual stalactite form
stock #23.1-232
Yaogangxian Mine, Yizhang County, Chenzhou Pref.
Hunan Province,
China
9.8 x 3.7 x 3.2 CM (cabinet)
price: $390
Spring 23
Stalactite of translucent Fluorite composed of small stepped crystals in stacked clusters. An early and very odd Fluorite from Yaogangxian, certainly a special and maybe unique piece. We have never seen another quite like this despite decades of experience with Yaogangxian. A few years ago there were some other type Stalactites recovered from a single pocket but they were composed of large crystal chains and a different habit altogether. Near the bottom of this piece there seems to be a repair on a crack. The rest of the piece is in perfect condition and for a perfectionist the repair could easily be unglued leaving an unrepaired, pristine (though slightly smaller) piece. A fine addition to any world-wide Fluorite suite or Chinese collection.
SOLD Calcite with Pyrite - 'Mercedes habit'
stock #SOLD 8.1-054
Manoshan Mine, Dongpo, Suxian District, Chenzoh area
Hunan Province,
China
8.8 x 4.3 x 4.1 CM (cabinet)
price: $0
Spring 23
Transparent Calcite crystals with distinctive "Mercedes" chevrons of Pyrite deposited on prism edges. This sort of selective deposit is quite uncommon and super esthetic. The Pyrite has an iridescent patina and contrasts with the glass-like Calcite faces that have no deposits at all. The outer edges have some cleavages but the center display area is clean, sharp and undamaged. Over the past two decades a few finds of this type have popped up, they are always small and no two are exactly the same in habit. This is an especially nice example.
Choice red to orange crystals, free standing on this Orpiment specimen from early finds at Shimen (China). Ex Shields Flynn collection, with his label, this is in fine condition and has some especially sharp terminations showing prismatic form. Very nice display impact despite the miniature size, the elongated habit of this style of Shimen Orpiment are quite distinctive and unlike other localities.
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